The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-06-25
JACKSONVILLE.
HORSEWHIPPED BY A Mayor.
FURNISHING A MERCHANT FOR CIV
ING REIN TO HIS TONGUE.
The New Theater To be Built on the Site OF the
Old 0ne-The Site Leased for Twenty Years.
Special to the Pdldtkd Nelrs.


JACKSONVILLE, June 24.-Jacksonville
is all agog with excitement, this morn
ing, over the fact that j. f. T. Bowden,
n prominent dry goods merchant of this
city, and mayor of the adjoining town
of Lavilla, publicly horsewhipped s.
Ritzewoller, one of the biggest property
holders i'm Jacksonville and also one of
the largest dry goods merchants here.
The cause of the action was this
An effort was made a couple of days
ago to give all the retail clerks in town
a half holiday every Thursday afternoon,
but RitezwolIer refused to comply.
Bowden passed the store yesterday af-
ternoon, and remarked to one of the
clerks that Ritzewoller should close, and
the latter hearing the remark came up
to- Bowden and fatty refused, and at the
same time roundly abused Bowden for
saying anything about the matter, as he
(Bowden) had lost the respect of the
community by his action i'm permitting
tine prostitutes and gamblers of Jackson
vile to settle in LaVilla, when these
disreputable characters had been driven
out of Jacksonville by Mayor Burbridge.
Bowden ut first stood the abuse quiet
ly, and Ritzewoller taking courage at the
formers silence finally intimated that
Bowden had burned down his own store
a couple of winters ago to get the insur
ance. This last charge was too much
for the mayor of LaVilla to stand. and
he challenged his accuser out on the side
walk where he could ''do him up" but
Ritzewoller refused to come. Bowden
then left but vowed he would horse
whip Ritzewoller the first time he caught
the latter on the street.
This morning Bowden succeeded in
meeting Ritzewoller on Bay street, near
Keene's millinery establishment, and
having cowhide i'm his hand he
grabbed Ritzewoller and gave him a ter
rible licking. The assailed man fled
bowling with pain into Keene's millinery
establishment pursued by the infuriated
Bowden, who still kept plying the lash
until bystanders interfered and sepa-
rated the two ihen. Bowden then left
for his store and Ritzewoller returned to
his. 1t is understood that the latter will
take no steps to have Bowden arrested.
Bowden is brother to the city editor of
the Times Union.
A NEW THEATER
Since the burning of the Park Theater
about six weeks ago, Jacksonville has
been very much exercised over the
L,.iI Of ~
feared that William Astor, the million
aire owner of the lot where the former
theater stood, would not rent the plot
for twenty years. The directors were
unwilling to build the theater unless
Astor promised to lease. Several
no definite action was taken,
and it was feared that Jackson
vile would be without theater this
season. Tonight, however, a telegram
was received from Mr. Astor, who had
just returned from Europe, stating his
willingness to rent the former site for
twenty years at $500 yearly. On this
information the directors will meet to-
morrow and Immediately begin opera
tions for new building
NOTES.
Jacksonville was invaded tonight by
the Fire Company of Rome, Ga, who
have been on a weeks excursion. The
company is i'm charge of Chief Seay, and
will probably visit st. Augustine to-
morrow, then return home.
The South Florida Railway will. after
next Monday, run only one through
train daily from Sanford to Tampa, on
account of the quarantine regulations.
Pablo Beach was visited to-day by a
big white Masonic excursion. five hun
dred strong. CARTER